Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson insists Michael Owen can still make the England World Cup squad.

Owen came on as a substitute for Manchester United in midweek to score a trademark goal against West Ham and Ferguson insists that, despite restricted appearances, he is happy at Old Trafford and still improving as a player.

"It's going to be difficult for Fabio to pick him when he's not been playing regularly, I understand that completely," Ferguson says. "I was hoping he would get more regular games so that he could put his England credentials right in front of Fabio (Capello), though it hasn't worked out that way. But there's still three months of the season left and you would still think that a player of his ability has it in him to grasp a chance.

"Getting used to playing as sub may be an advantage in the long term. Even though he's not figuring a lot for us, he's still the one player you would want on your bench if you need to make a change with 15 minutes to go in a World Cup quarter-final. That has to be in your thinking. It's going to be difficult for him to get to South Africa I know, it's a big ask to pick a player who is not playing, but I don't need to tell Fabio how to do his job.

"He's an experienced manager who knows what he wants and he knows what striking options are available."